Author: candicouturedesigns

Wow! Can I just say how amazed I am with the Rory pattern from Petite Stitchery. This pattern is written very clearly and has some sweet little notes added to remind you that you are awesome (you shouldn’t need a reminder but it is nice to hear it every once in a while)!

The Rory Dress (it also has instructions and patterns pieces for a peplum skirt as well as the dress) features a gathered circle skirt, and a mock turtleneck. I made mine in long sleeve, but it has options for sleeveless, short, and elbow sleeves.

I had a fun photoshoot with my 2 daughters. They are really silly and I can’t wait to feature them when I get back to making them clothing. I especially loved the fun time we had while trying to get a good photo of the awesome twirl that this skirt has. This Cajun girl will have some fun twirling in this amazing dress.

I used the amazing fabric from Sly Fox Fabrics. Please check out their amazing selection of knits here. I used the Liverpool – Mad in Love in Burgundy and I just love this fabric. You can find this fabric here.

This pattern can be found here (affiliate link)! While you are there, check out the other amazing patterns that Petite Stitchery offers.

Good evening! As I write this, I am reheating a pot of gumbo and cooking a pot of yummy rice. This was a very good week for my craft goals. I was able to sew up 2 Bliss Cold Shoulder tops (shown below), another pair of Fusion Leggings, 3 hoodies for a test (I can’t show these yet:-(), and I started on a t shirt for my son (I can’t show this one either because it is for a test too).

Last Sunday, I found a few projects that I had started throughout last year and I was able to finish them. I started on a blanket for my youngest daughter and as of today I am between 1/4 to 1/2 of the way done.

I just finished my to do sewing list for next week and it includes some major awesomeness. I also tested a pattern that is releasing tomorrow and will be writing a blog post on that soon!

Continuing with my sewing goals, I made a the new Bliss Top by Petite Stitchery. This top has such a classic frame and it is so pretty. The ruffle at the top of the sleeve along with the elegant drawstring and cold shoulder feature make this a unique and must have sewing pattern. I think these cold shoulder tops are very fashionable and on trend.

I was able to make 2 Bliss Cold Shoulder Tops. The fabric that I used is my treasured Hurricane Harvey Texas Bullhead French Terry fabric (shown above in top length) and a beautiful Floral Double Brushed Poly from Sly Fox Fabrics called Amore in Olive(shown below in high low tunic length). Each of these awesome fabrics produced a very comfortable and fashionable top for me. The Bliss Cold Shoulder sewing pattern can be found HERE (affiliate link)!

Perhaps one of my favorite new makes is the CC Off-The-Shoulder Top and Fusion Leggings. CC stands for Cozy Chic which describes this pattern perfectly. I was able to make 2 CC Tops and I love them both. My first one I made with some sweater knit from a mystery box that I purchased from Knitpop. This one turned out longer because I didn’t adjust the pattern for my height. I think it came out really nice as a dress.

And my most favorite CC Top is made with Brushed Hacci Sweater Knit from Sly Fox Fabrics. This fabric is so soft and stable and I want to just live in it. Affiliate Link to purchase CC Off-The-Shoulder Top pattern HERE

Next up is the Fusion Leggings. Talk about style these leggings feature a curved V shaped waistband to accentuate your boo-tay. Then there is the rider style bottom panel and it is great for those scrap busters. I made a few of these leggings. I used stretch velvet on my pink and navy pair. The navy panels are double brushed poly and it feels like butter. This might be my absolute favorite pair of leggings yet.

My next pair is a swim/dance spandex fabric that I bought at Joann’s. With this pair, I decided to throw caution to the wind and go a little crazy with my fabric choice. I was actually going for a superhero vibe (not sure if I actually nailed it or not). Affiliate link to purchase Fusion Leggings pattern HERE

Week 1 of 2018 brought me lots of sewing. Most of which I can not share until later because they are pattern tests and the patterns haven’t been released yet.

I have joined a few sewing groups on Facebook which prompted me to sit down and plan out my sewing and crochet goals for 2018. My craft goals are to sew 3-5 items a week, crochet 1-2 items (or get to a certain point on a blanket or large project, keep up with 2 temperature blankets (one from last year since it turned out to be an amazing weather year), and FINISH all handmade gifts before Halloween!

Here is the progress on my 2017 temperature blanket.

I decided to go ahead and restart it because we had some really crazy weather events. In August, there was Harvey and while we didn’t flood it was still a very stressful time. And, in early December, it snowed. I also want to add special colors for my families birthdays and the day my granny died.

Last week, I also finished a blanket that will go to a very dear friend as well as a scarf.

Happy New Year! Welcome to my new blog. I decided that this was the best avenue to showcase my designs and projects. I will be sharing the items that I make and describing fit and details.

A little background about me. I have been sewing since 6th grade Home Ec in 1991. I didn’t sew very much in my youth but picked it back up when I was pregnant for my first child in 2004. I made a few maternity items and a few dresses for my daughter when she was very young. We moved to Alabama in 2007 shortly after having my son. It was there that I really dove into sewing and even opened my own shop. I kept that going until my 3rd child was born in 2011 and we moved to Houston. Life got hectic with 3 kids and I ended up going to work full time. Then I was laid off in 2016 and had a really hard time finding another job, so I picked up sewing again. The goal was to clean up my sewing room and make things with the fabric that I already had. If you know anything about having a fabric stash, then you know that you never have the exact fabric that you need. And that’s when my fabric stash grew to what it is now.

My goal this year is to use the fabric that I have and only buying new fabric if I need a coordinate. We shall see how that goes.

I will also be sharing my crochet items since I tend to crochet during my family time. This allows me to spend time with my kids and husband while still being productive.

I truly hope you enjoy my blog and I look forward to what 2018 has in store for me and my sewing and craft goals.